Bill could see NSW water sent to SA: Xenophon

Independent South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon is considering introducing a private member's bill to Federal Parliament to put water from Menindee Lakes into the River Murray.

The lakes near Broken Hill are holding about 300 gigalitres of water but it is regulated by New South Wales.

Senator Xenophon says the Federal Government could use external affairs and corporations power to override New South Wales' control of the water and send it across the border.

"We have something like 300 gigalitres of water, enough to save the Riverland, enough to save Mildura [and] Sunraysia that New South Wales can control and manipulate to prevent SA from getting access to," he said.

"That's why we need to have a Commonwealth takeover using these sweeping constitutional powers. They clearly have to deal with this."

Kent Andrew from the Citrus Growers of South Australia agrees that water from the Menindee Lake must be released.

"That would be much more effectively used in terms of use here in South Australia because here in South Australia there's no question - it is the environment which we recognise as irrigators and permanent plantings that are suffering the greatest under the current crisis and impending crisis," he said.

Meeting irrigators

Meanwhile Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is touring South Australia's drought-stricken Lower Lakes to talk up his plan to save the ailing River Murray system.

Mr Rudd and Water Minister Penny Wong are at Milang to meet irrigators along the lakes.

The Murray Darling Association says the Council of Australian Governments' agreement on the basin this week has left a lot of people unhappy but says it represents a couple of steps forward.

Association general manager Ray Najar wants to see South Australia and New South Wales negotiate to get water from Menindee Lakes near Broken Hill into the system for environmental flows.

"While the states are still handling the water and there's not national authority in place it's up to I think the South Australian premier and the New South Wales premier to get together and sort out a deal whereby there would be a better sharing plan between those two states," he said.